Electricity-meter.



No. 739.695. PATENTED SEPT. 22, 1903. W. M. MORDEY & G. G. FRICKBR. ELECTRICITY METER.

- APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10 1902.

NO MODEL. 4 SHEETSBHEET l.

Wi tnesse Inventors ggww No. 739,695. PATENTED SEPT. 22, 1903. W. M. MORDEY & G. G. FRIGKER.

ELECTRICITY METER.

APPLICATION TILED JAN. 10, 1902.

10 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Witness 5 Inventors.

M o M w bbvc w Attorney.

N0. 739,695. PATENTED SEPT. 22, 1903. W. M. MORDEY & G. G. FRIGKER.

ELECTRICITY METER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1902.

N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Witnesses.

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PATENTED SEPT. 22. 1903.

W. M. MORDEY & G. 0. FRIGKER. ELECTRICITY METER. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1902. H0 MODEL. 4 SHEETSSEEE-T 4.

Inventors.

Witnesses.

THi NOHI'NS PETEHS cu PHOTOLIYHD. msumarcn. o c.

UNITED STATES Patented September 22, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM MORRIS MORDEY AND GUY CAREY FRIOKER, OF \VESTMINSTER, ENGLAND.

ELECTRICITY-M ETER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,695, dated September 22, 1903.

Application filed January 10, 1902. Serial No. 89,141. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM MORRIS MORDEY and Gov CAREY FRIOKER, subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, re-

siding at WVestminster, England, have invented Improvements in and Relating to Electricity-Meters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to electricity- [0 meters of the kind in which the motion of a single clock-escapement is a direct measure of the electricity supplied-as, for example, is the case in meters of the kind described in the specification of former Letters Patent granted to us, Nos. 600,021 and 664,092, dated, respectively, October 16, 1900, and December 18, 1900, and in the specification of another application for Letters Patent filed by us dated April 7, 1902, Serial No. 101,708, which is a division of the present application.

The invention has for its object to adapt electricity-meters of the kind mentioned to work in conjunction with prepayment mechanism, so that they can be used as prepayment-rneters. For this purpose means are provided for winding the clock-spring of such a meter from the exterior thereof through gearing which can only be operated when the required coin is first passed into the meter 0 through a suitable slot, the coin then forming a key between the winding-handle, which is normally loose, and the gearing. The arrangement is such that when a coin is inserted the movement of the handle through a full 5 stroke between limiting-stops will cause a definite rotary movement to be imparted to the external end of the clock-spring, which is then held in the wound or partly-wound condition by a pawlor detent engaging a ratchet I tooth or notch attached to or formed in a rotary part to which the external end of the spring is connected, the said movements of the parts also closing the meter-switcl1,it' the same was previously open, and the unwinding of the spring caused by the working of the meter acting to open the switch when the amount of electricity paid for has been supplied.

The invention consists in various novel features of construction and in certain combinations and arrangements of parts, all as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims annexed.

In the accompanying illustrative drawings, Figure 1 is a plan, Fig. 2 an under side View, Fig. 3 a side elevation, and Fig. 4 a rear elevation, showing an electricity-meter of the kind referred to adapted for use as a prepayment-meter. The meter-casing is shown in Fig. 1 and in vertical section in Figs. 3 and 4. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views.

a is the armature of the meter, fixed on a spindle b and mounted to oscillate within the fixed coil 0, through which the, current to be registered is caused to flow, and d is a clocktrain provided with a springless escapement e, acting upon a balance-wheel or diskf, fixed to the spindleb, the arrangement being such that when current flows through the coil 0 the armature Ct will be caused by the combined action of thecurrent and escapement to oscillate at a rate proportional to the current, as described in our said former specifications.

1 is the clock-spring, the external end 2 of which is connected to a pin 3, fixed to a rotary disk 4., that surrounds the main spindle 5, to which the inner end of the spring is connected and from which motion is transmitted through the clock-train d to the escapement e of the meter. The disk at is adapted, as by a pinion 4:, to be driven from a toothed wheel 6, that is formed with a number-say six-0f radially-arranged coin-slots 7. Over the center of the wheel 6 is pivoted a handle 8, also formed with a coin slot S, that is inoperative on the toothed wheel 5 in the absence of a coin between the two slotted parts and is normally held in its rearward position by a spring 9, which is the position for receiving a coin. The disk 4. is normally held in position by a detent 10, that engages in a notch 11 in its periphery in such a way as to allow the disk to be turned in a forward directionviz., that of the arrow 00, Fig. 2to' 5 wind up the spring, but to prevent its turning backward. Thus it will be seen that the winding up of the clock-spring 1 by the handle S and the unwinding of the spring by the oscillating motion of the armature Ct of the meter take place in the same direction and that the working of-the meter can, if the quantity of electricity previously paid for has not been delivered, go on uninterruptcdly during the winding of the spring without any liability of arresting the action of the escapement and allowing the armature to take up its mid-position of rest, from which it would not automatically restart.

The arrangement hereinbet'ore described is such that a coin can be dropped through a slot 12, Fig. 1, in the plate 0, so as to enter the slot 8 in the loose handle 8 and one of the slots 7 in the toothed wheel 6 when the latter is in its normal rearward position. The coin then rests on a fixed support 13 in such a position to remain partly in the slot 7in the toothed wheel and partly in the slot 8 of the handle 8, and on moving the handle through a small angle in the direction of winding--viz., that of the arrow 1],.Fig. 2-the coin will he carried past the support 13, the clamping action of the handle 8 alone preventing the coin from then falling. At the limit of the movement of the handle in the operative direction and the consequent completion of a revolution of the disk 4 the detent 10 will reengage the disk, and upon then releasing the handle the clamping strain on the coin will be removed and the coin left free to drop through the slot 7 in the toothed wheel into the bottom 13 of the case or into a money-box below, while the toothed wheel 6 will have moved through an angle such as to bring the next adjacent slot 7 therein under the slot 8 in the handle when the latter returns to its normal position.

With the arrangement described a number of coins may be prepaid immediately one after the other and a corresponding driving force for the meter and supply of electricity through the same insured.

The switch for opening the circuit (the meter being included in such circuit) when the quantity of electricity paid for has been supplied and for closing the said circuit when a fresh coin is inserted in the meter comprises, according to the construction shown, (see Figs. 2 and 5,) a spring-blade 14, fixed at one end to a support 15, in connection with one terminal 16 of the meter, and adapted when released to spring away from a fixed contact 17, connected at 18 to one end of the meter coil or winding 0, the other end of which is connected to the second terminal 16 of the meter.

19 is a second spring-blade fixed at one end 19 and hearing at its other end 19 against, but insulated from, the first mentioned spring-blade 14:.

20 is a switch-lever one arm of which terminates in proximity to the spring-blade l9 and the other end of which is arranged in the path of a number of pins 21, that are fixed to the toothed wheel 6, and each of which in turn acts upon the second arm of the lever 20 in a direction to cause its first-mentioned arm to bear against the spring-blade 19 and cause the same to force the spring-blade 14:

into the closed position each time the toothed wheel 0 is operated if the switch be not already closed. The switch-lever 20 is so arranged that when operated by a pin 21 it will be moved into the closed position, in which it will be at right angles, or approximately so, to the springblade 10, in which position it will be held by the pressure of the said spring-blade. To assist the switch-lever to remain in this position, the end thereof adjacent to the said spring-blade is flattened or cupped. Connected to the switch-lever 20is a third arm 22, which is arranged to be operated by the expansion or extension of the outer convolution 1 of the'clock-spring 1 when the said spring becomes unwound to a predetermined extent and to then operate the switch-lever 20 and move its first-mentioned arm away from the spring-blade 19 and allow it and the spring-blade 14 to spring into the open position, Fig. 5, thus opening the circuit of the meter and stopping the supply of electricity until another coin is inserted. The expansion of the outer convolution 1" of the clock-spring 1 may also be employed to move a light lever 23, that is pressed against the periphery of the clock-spring by another spring 24 and is provided with a pointer 25, the position of which indicates on a suitable scale 26 the amount of electricity remaining prepaid.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Upon inserting a coin in the slot 8 of the handle 8 and one of the slots 7 in the toothed wheel 6 and then turning the said handle the toothed wheel will be partly rotated, and if the spring 14 of the meter-switch be not closed one of the pins 21 on such wheel will by then acting upon the recessed end of the switch-lever 20 partly turn the said lever and cause it to close the meter-switch, the said pin then sliding idly past the switchlever and leaving the same in the closed position. The partial rotation of the toothed wheel 6 also causes the disk 4 to turn through a complete revolution and the spring 1 to be partly wound up, the detent 10 after being disengaged from the disk automatically reengaging the same, so as to hold the spring in the wound condition and permit the meter to work when the circuit in which it is included is closed and to then record the amount of electricity being supplied. As the amount of electricity paid for is being supplied the clock-spring 1 will gradually unwind until the amount of electricity paid for has been supplied, at which time the outermost convolution l of the'clock-spring 1 will have expanded to a sufficient extent to force the switch-lever 20 from its closed position, Fig. 2, to its open position, Fig. 5, whereupon the supply of electricity will cease until the toothed wheel is again operated after the insertion of an additional coin or coins.

A prepayment-meter such as hereinbefore described may be provided, as usual, with a counter to register the electricity consumed.

What we claim ls-- 1. In an electricity meter of the type in which a clockwork has an. escapement without a hair-spring and the motion of the escapementis a direct measure of the electricitysupplied, the combination with meter mechanism, clockwork and a clock-spring that drives the clockwork from its inner end, of prepaymentmechanism that is adapted to admit of said spring being wound up from its outer end only after the insertion of a coin whereby the winding of the spring will not interfere with the action of the escapement of the meter, means for preventing unwinding of the outer end of said spring, and means adapted to close the circuit in which said meter is included when the spring is wound and to open said circuit when the electricity paid for has been supplied.

2. In an electricity-meter of the type in which a clockwork has an escapement withoutahair-spring and the motion of the escapement is a direct measure of the electricity supplied, the combination with meter mechanism, clockwork and a clock-spring that drives the clockwork from its inner end, of prepayment mechanism comprising gearing connected to the outer end of said spring, a freelymovable handle that is independent of said mechanism but is adapted to be connected thereto by a suitable coin inserted between the two, means for preventing unwinding of the outer end of said spring and consequent interference with the action of the escapement of the meter, and a switch adapted to be closed when the spring is wound and to open when the electricity paid for has been consumed.

3. In an electricity-meter of the type in which the motion of a clockwork is a direct measure of the electricity supplied, the com bination with met-er mechanism, a clockspring, and clock mechanism driven from the inner end of said spring, of prepayment mechanism comprising means for winding said spring from its outer end, means for preventing unwinding of the outer end of said spring, a handle normally disconnected from said winding means but adapted to be connected thereto by a coin, and a switch adapted to be closed when the spring is wound and to be opened by direct action of said spring when the same is unwound to a predetermined extent.

l. In an electricity-meter of the type in which the motion of a clockwork is a direct measure of the electricity supplied, the combination with the meter mechanism, the clockspring, and the clock mechanism driven from the inner end of said spring, of prepayment mechanism comprising a rotary disk to which the outer end of said spring is secured, gearing for rotating said disk to wind up said spring from its outer end, means for preventing backward movement of said disk and the outer end of said spring, a handle adapted to be connected to said gearing by the insertion of a coin between them, and a switch adapted to be closed upon winding said spring and to be opened by the direct action of said spring when the same is unwound to a predetermined extent.

5. In an electricity-meter of the type in which the motion of a clockwork is a direct measure of the electricity supplied, the combination with the clock-spring, of prepayment mechanism comprising a rotary body to which the outer end of said spring is connected, a wheel formed with a number of coin-slots and geared to said rotary body so as to rotate the same and wind up said spring when it is rotated, means for preventing backward rotating of said rotary body, a pivoted handle mounted to rotate above said slotted wheel and formed with a coin-slot to register in turn with each of those in said wheel, a coin-support below said wheel and handle, a switch for controlling the circuit including said meter, means for closing said switch by the rotation of said wheel, and means for opening said switch by the unwinding of said spring, substantially as described.

6. In an electricity-meter of the type in which the motion of a clockwork is a direct measure of the electricity supplied, the com bination with the clock-spring, of prepayment mechanism comprising a rotary body to which the outer end of said spring is con-= nected, a detent for preventing backward rotation of said body, winding mechanism adapted to rotate said body and including a slotted wheel, a pivoted slotted handle normally held in a position in which the coinslot therein is over a coin-slot in said slotted wheel, a coiusupport below said wheel and handle, a switch for controlling the circuit including said meter, lever mechanism adapted to be operated by rotation of said slotted Wheel to close said switch, and lever mechanism adapted to be operated by the expansion of said spring when unwound to a predetermined extent to open said switch, substantially as described.

'7. In an electricity-meter of the type in which the motion of a clockwork is a direct measure of the electricity to be registered, the combination with the driving-spring and the driving-spindle connected to the inner end of said spring, of a rotary plate connected to the outer end of said spring and formed with a notch, a spring-detent normally engaging said notch, a toothed wheel connected to said plate, a second toothed wheel in gear with the first one and provided with a series of slots therethrough and with a series of pins depending from its lower side, a handlelever pivoted to turn about a center coaxial with that of said second toothed wheel and formed with a coin-slot adapted to register with each of those in said wheel, a spring connected to said hand-lever for returning it to its normal position, a coin-support of limited length arranged below said second toothed wheel, a movable switch-contact fixed at one end and adapted to hear at its other end against a fixed contact, a spring-blade fixed at one end, a pivoted switch-lever having one of its arms arranged to project into the path of said pins when the switch is open and its other end arranged to act against the second spring-blade and cause it to move the switch-- contact into the closed position, and a leverarm fixed to said lever and arranged to be actuated by said driving-spring when unwinding and to move said switch-lever into the open position, substantially as described.

8. In an electricity-meter of the type in which the motion of a clockwork is a measure of the electricity supplied, the combination with the clock-spring, of prepayment mech- WILLIAM MORRIS MORDEY. GUY CAREY FRIOKER.

WVitnesses:

PERCY E. MA'r'rocKs, HUGH HUGHES. 

